R J Mitchell Primary School

Strengths

• Inclusion is deeply embedded and is a real strength of the school's provision.
• Leaders and staff are ambitious for disadvantaged pupils and use pupil premium funding effectively.
• Staff have a highly sophisticated understanding of pupils' needs and barriers to learning.
• Early identification, precise support and regular review help pupils access the curriculum.
• The resourced provision and nurture groups support pupils with SEND well.
• The curriculum is broad, ambitious and carefully structured so pupils build knowledge over time.
• Reading is well developed: pupils read books matched to the sounds they know, and struggling readers are supported to catch up.
• The early years curriculum is thoughtfully designed and sequenced, with communication and language at its core.
• Leaders provide clear direction after a period of change, and staff feel well supported with workload and professional development.
• Governance is effective: governors know the school well and challenge leaders appropriately.
• Pupils are polite, respectful and typically attentive, and behaviour is calm and orderly.
• Personal development is well planned, offering a broad range of experiences, clubs and leadership opportunities.
• Safeguarding standards are met, and pupils feel safe and know trusted adults.

Areas for Improvement

• Pupils' early writing skills, including pencil grip, letter formation, spelling and punctuation, are not consistently secure.
• Teaching does not always build effectively on pupils' prior knowledge, which can hinder tackling more complex curriculum content.
• Published outcomes are below national averages in reading, writing and mathematics, including the combined measure.
• Disadvantaged pupils' attainment is well below national non-disadvantaged peers across key measures.
• Not enough pupils are ready for their next stage of education.
• Attendance remains below average over time, and persistent absence is far too high.
• Recent attendance improvements are not consistent across all groups or in line with national levels.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools